For many boys who have walked through the doors of Turlock's Excell Center, "father" can be a word that has little to no meaning – a faceless term shrouded in doubt, only to be brought to the surface once a year during an annual holiday celebrated by those who have a dad. Chris Essary has encountered thousands of young boys and men through his work at the center, bringing value to the term once again and serving as a leader, a mentor, a friend and, most importantly, a father figure.

Balswick's Auto Service has been passed down from father to son, beginning first with Orville Balswick in 1945. Today, however, Orville's grandson Brett Balswick owns and operates the shop's Golden State Boulevard location with the help of his three daughters, Candice, Catherine and Cassie Balswick, changing the tune of the family's history while having a ton of fun along the way.

Machado and Sons, Inc., a construction company established in Turlock, formulated from the will and drive of patriarch Manuel Machado, and run in conjunction with his sons Jason, Michael and Matthew, is the epitome of an American success story.

Adrenna Alkhas is one of Turlock's busiest women. The mother of three balances her job as Stanislaus County Fair Marketing and Communications Director with the responsibility of teaching students at Modesto Junior College as an adjunct professor and also volunteers her time promoting the Assyrian Festival. As an Assyrian, she is passionate about her culture and strives to bring awareness to the community about her heritage. Alkhas' hard work over the years has paid off, having received several accolades, the most recent being "Publicist of the Year" from PR News. When she isn't hard at work, she, her ...

Thanks to the generous contributions of scholarship donors and a grant from College Futures Foundation, 175 local students will receive scholarships for the 2017-2018 academic year totaling $229,500. That's more than double the amount of scholarship dollars distributed by Stanislaus Community Foundation in 2016.